“This is a record of extreme focus, performed and realized by equally focused players. […] And yet for all the instrumental ornamentation, the highlight of the record is, once again, Allschwang herself. Her voice, forever haunting and wise, remains a wonder..” // Milwaukee Record, by Matt Wild

“But the driving influence [of VISITATIONS IV] is always Milwaukee itself, as reflected through the inventive backing band Allschwang has assembled: drummer Kavi Laud, guitarist Ken Palme, bassist/guitarist Nathaniel Heuer and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Adam Krause. Collectively they play off of the last 20+ years of Milwaukee post-rock, and they make it thunder and glisten.” // The Shepherd Express, by Evan Rytlewski

“For her sophomore "solo" album," Allschwang is accompanied by a full band, all recording these songs together, creating a raw wall of sound only to recede for breathless moments of soft-spoken introspection. As a musician and a writer, Allschwang is growing on "Visitations IV," and the Milwaukee music scene too is growing by her example.” // The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, by Piet Levy

It’s an honor to be heard in this way. We’re so grateful for these words and and those you’ve shared with each of us in person/over the phone/in the comments sections.

A primary impetus for VISITATIONS IV was the anticipated ecstasy of playing these songs together as a band, so we were thrilled to be reunited with Kavi, who moved to Texas several months ago (thus stepped in yet another incredible drummer, our sixth Visitation, Thomas Duffey). Friends came in from as far as NYC, and Nadah El Shazly came all the way from Cairo, Egypt! (She’s on tour.) It was a cherished evening.

We had so much fun, we could barely find a photo where one of us isn’t smiling:

^^photos (c) Joe Kirschling

We have even more exciting news to share very soon. Sign up for Visitations & Salutations for updates via the occasional letter straight to your inbox. l’ll enjoy writing to you and hope you will too.

Thank you for listening. Your time and consideration is precious—I’m honored to be given yours.

I recorded a short suite of songs-as-ritual shortly after the Kavanaugh hearing. Night Gathering: A Ritual in Four Acts is now available for purchase on the merch page and bandcamp. This is a rare project for me: I recorded and engineered the record myself, and felt possessed by purpose; this recording feels immediate, intimate, and dark. One wish I had for Night Gathering was that it be partly improvisational. I had words prepared and limited myself to two instruments I found most tactile to me--the violin and a koto (or guzheng)—and which I rarely get the opportunity to play to my own music. More notes behind the impetus for making Night Gathering can be found here. I want to express heartfelt thanks to Margaret Muza for conspiring with me on imagery and creating the haunting wetplate photograph inspired by and for the ep, Luxi for mastering, and Adam Krause for encouraging me through the process (much of which was emotional). I thank those who bravely purchase this recording (as it will not be streamable, I’ve decided, so as to make this a more personal exchange) for your support and curiosity. It means so much to be in conversation with you, and to know you are willing to commit to something you most likely haven’t heard yet.

On Tuesday, July 10th, I had the pleasure of speaking with my dear friend, colleague, and band mate (in both Altos and Hello Death) Erin Wolf about "Marcus & Ramona/Married" on her Rockleidoscope program on 91.7FM WMSE:

I want to send out thanks from the bottom of my heart for your support of my debut album from 2015. Innumerable generous and talented people took part in the production of the music, the beautiful vinyl edition, and an award-winning video for "Aquarium." We make art when words alone are insufficient, and so I hope that the care and adventure undertaken with these 'firsts' reflect the deep affection and admiration I have for my collaborators, band mates, inspiring colleagues, and my gratitude for your attention and contributions to the cosmic conversation of art.

Last summer, I recorded new material with The Visitations, a name I adopted from a Jenny Erpenbeck novel about a place. I think of our musical unit as a place, and the work we make as a kind of visitation.

The first set of songs from our summer '17 session at The Chair Company (Milwaukee, WI) is a two-song ep, "Marcus & Ramona/Married." Matt Wild asked me about "Marcus & Ramona" -- this is what I said.

And if you'd like to see pictures of our place, you can follow our new instagram, too.

We have a forthcoming full length and more news on the way. I'll be checking in here. If you'd like to be added to my mailing list, let me know!